Materazzi Rebuts 'terrorist' Allegation

Marco Materazzi has admitted he insulted Zinedine Zidane prior to the butt that earned the Frenchman a red card in Sunday's World Cup final.

Theories have abounded as to what Materazzi might have said to provoke such a response and the former Everton defender conceded he did make an offensive remark. "I held his shirt for a few seconds only, then he turned to me and talked to me, jeering," said Materazzi. "He looked at me with a huge arrogance and said, 'If you really want my shirt I'll give it to you afterwards'. I replied with an insult, that's true."

Materazzi has not elaborated on what he did say, but one report suggested he responded with: "I'd rather take the shirt off your wife." He has, however, denied that he insulted Zidane's mother or called the son of Algerian immigrants a terrorist. A lip reader employed by the BBC claimed Materazzi said: "I wish an ugly death to you and all your family," and then told Zidane to "go fuck yourself". Paris-based anti-racism group, SOS-Racism, had earlier said that "several very well informed sources" suggested Zidane was called a "dirty terrorist".

"I did not call him a terrorist," responded the Italian World Cup winner. "I am not a cultured person and I don't even know what an Islamist terrorist is. For me the mother is sacred, you know that."

Zidane himself is yet to speak on the incident, but his agent yesterday claimed the reaction was due to a "very serious" comment. He was given a hero's welcome in Paris yesterday, with thousands of people filling Place de la Concorde and chanting "Zizou! Zizou!" A sheepish-looking Zidane was then pushed forward by his team-mates and acknowledged the crowd with a nod of his head.

Suggestions that Materazzi's remarks may have been racist in nature have raised the issue of whether he should face some sort of retrospective action himself. Tournament organisers Fifa have given no indication they might pursue such a line but English referees chief Keith Hackett sees no reason why such a principle should not be established. "They are reluctant to take action after the game but here is a situation where, if there is proof, for the good of the game, action should be taken," said Hackett. "I am pleased the Football Association, in May, wrote a circular to all clubs, through the PFA and LMA, reminding everyone that racist remarks constitute a sending-off offence."

Meanwhile, the fourth official who was responsible for alerting the referee that Zidane had butted Materazzi has said he saw the incident as it happened. Spaniard Luis Medina Cantalejo said television replays played no part in his decision to inform referee Horacio Elizondo of the Frenchman's aggression as the two players trotted back after a corner. "I saw it happen live, I didn't invent anything," Medina Cantalejo told Spanish radio station Cadena Ser. "The ball was elsewhere and that was where the referee was looking, while the linesman was getting back into position. I always tell my fourth official to keep an eye on the players because things can happen as the players get back into position and that is all I did."